South Hams Energy Assembly

Saturday 18th October
9:30 am – 3:30pm

Sustainable South Hams and South Dartmoor Community Energy are excited to be hosting the 2025 South Hams Energy Assembly.

The event aims to connect, support and inspire action to accelerate the transition to energy resilience in the South Hams.

We are bringing together community organisations, councillors, rural businesses, housing associations and other local decision makers and interested individuals, together with experts from local energy organisations, installers and related companies.

Our Assemblies have a track record of sparking new connections and igniting new projects.

Join us for a day of inspiration!

We are very grateful to our funders and sponsors South Hams District and Octopus Energy for supporting this event.

Proudly supported by:

Event goals

  • Connect with community energy projects and energy providers
  • Discover what support is available to you and leave armed with a wealth of practical ideas and resource links for your community
  • Learn about great examples of action in other South Hams parishes
  • Take inspiration from key themes in workshop topics
  • Meet representatives from a range of organisations that can support you
  • Inform us about what ongoing support would be helpful to you

Programme

9:30am

Arrival & registrations 

9.50am - 10:30am

Introductions & scene setting

A vision for energy in the South Hams
10.30am - 11:15am

Workshop Options

A) Dealing with energy & net zero myths and misinformation
Online and print media are awash with myths and misinformation about energy and climate, leading to widespread confusion and creating barriers to action. Hear from experts about common myths and how to dispel them, and join the group discussion. 

B) Fuel poverty & affordable warmth in the South Hams
Approximately a quarter of South Hams residents now live in fuel poverty and cannot access affordable warmth. Hear from Reset Energy Advice and South Dartmoor Community Energy about support for vulnerable residents and explore what action can be taken in your community to address this issue.
11.15- 1.15pm

Exhibition, networking and lunch

Explore the exhibition, make new connections, receive advice from independent experts and meet local installers and technology providers.

Lunch is provided with your ticket by Feast Kitchen who will be offering seasonal dishes, hearty salads, savories and sweet treats, suitable for all dietary requirements. Additional coffee & cake bar.

Bite Size Intro Talks - exact timings tbc
- Intro to Solar and Batteries
- Intro to Heat Pumps
Please note: Our exhibition is evolving and we will add to this list in the lead up to the event. Would you like to exhibit? Get in touch!

Adia makes heat pumps work better for everyday homes. It works with your existing pipes and radiators to avoid big disruption, keeps every room comfortable, and saves you money by heating when electricity is cheapest. It also shows which upgrades can make your home even more efficient over time

Sustainable South Hams aims to connect, support, and inspire local climate and nature action across the South Hams.

Bloom Renewables is a family‑owned solar and battery installer with over 10 years’ experience. We are committed to helping farms, homes and rural businesses decarbonise and helping build energy‑resilient communities. A portion of our profits are reinvested into clean‑energy innovation, including agri-PV trials and peer‑to‑peer Virtual Power Plant projects like the Bloom Rural Energy Network (BREN)

Community Action Groups (CAG) Devon is here to support and empower community groups to act towards a more sustainable future. We provide community groups with a grant to cover insurance costs, guidance, training, and opportunities for networking and sharing skills with other groups. We support groups across all districts in Devon.

Dartmoor Energy are award‑winning PAS2035 retrofit and renewable energy specialists. Since 2018, we’ve supported homeowners, businesses, local authorities, and housing associations with heat pumps, solar PV, EV charging, insulation, airtightness testing, EPCs, energy surveys, retrofit design & coordination, and grant facilitation—empowering our clients to cut carbon, save money and achieve true energy independence.

More details to follow

More details to follow

Energy Local Totnes demonstrates a new way for communities to buy and sell locally generated renewable electricity at a fair price. By matching local use with local power generation, the club keeps more money within the local economy, supports small-scale renewables, and encourages smarter energy use – contributing to a more resilient energy system that benefits members’ pockets, their community and the planet.

More details to follow

At Glo Renewables Ltd, we believe in doing things properly. No cutting corners, no half-measures - just top-tier service, expert knowledge, and an install experience that stands out. Our company is built on trust, respect, and a commitment to quality, both for our customers and our team.

Mole Energy is an award-winning renewable energy installer with over 15 years of experience, providing tailored energy solutions to homes and businesses across the South West and the UK. Their expert team is dedicated to lowering energy costs and delivering lasting value for customers.

More details coming soon

Naturesave Insurance, the UK’s leading ethical insurance broker, was founded to create a more sustainable insurance industry by campaigning for fossil fuel divestment. Naturesave provides a specialist renewable energy insurance services for community energy groups and associated organisations. Every year, a percentage of profits are donated to The Naturesave Trust charity to fund environmental, conservation, and social projects around the UK.

Open Eco Homes is a community-led programme of guided visits to low-carbon, and sustainable homes - both retrofits and new builds. Hosts give a tour of their home or project and share info on decisions, costs, materials and what it’s like to live in. Visitors see measures like insulation, airtightness, natural building techniques, heat pumps, solar panels and ventilation in situ, ask candid questions, and learn what worked, what didn’t, and why - to inform their own projects. Transition Town Totnes have developed a handover pack for communities wanting to replicate this project.

Reset Energy Advice, delivered by energy advice professionals from Citizens Advice, offers free, expert support to those struggling with energy bills. Our advisors help decipher bills, share energy-saving tips, and guide you through grants and benefits—ensuring tailored, independent advice to ease financial stress.

The Retrofit Company delivers bespoke, ethical, end-to-end energy-efficiency solutions across the South West. As a trusted main contractor, we specialise in insulation (walls, roofs, floors), ventilation systems, heat pumps (air/ground source), solar PV and glazing upgrades. Since inception, our local Devon–Cornwall team has partnered with quality contractors to drive sustainable, healthy, low‑carbon outcomes for homes, businesses, and councils.

SDCE empowers local communities to embrace sustainable energy solutions and reduce carbon emissions. We provide tailored advice on energy efficiency, renewable technologies, and carbon reduction strategies for households, businesses, and public sector organisations.

Our support extends to individuals experiencing fuel poverty, those eligible for grants, and self-funded households seeking to improve their energy resilience. In partnership with our local council, we co-develop and implement community energy strategies, foster public engagement in sustainability initiatives, and deliver targeted support to help alleviate energy hardship.

More details to follow

Yealm Community Energy is a Community Benefit Society formed to own and operate three solar farms – Newton Downs, Creacombe, and Marlands. Together they produce over 12 million kWh (units) of electricity a year, enough to power 4,500 homes. Surpluses benefit the five parishes of the Yealm: over £100,000 funding over 50 community projects, with another £70,000 to parishes through S106 agreements.

1.15pm - 2:45pm

Afternoon Workshops

Pick a session that most interests you! Don't worry, all sessions will be recorded and discussion shared after the event.

Each session will include some short talks, followed by Q&A and group discussion.
Please note: Our workshops are evolving and we will add to this summary in the lead up to the event.  Get in touch!
Community & commercial-scale renewable energy

Hear short talks from leading experts on community and commercial renewables to find out the challenges and opportunities for larger scale installations. Join the discussion about how this relates to you and your community or business.

  • Als Parker - community renewables expert and Former Director of Development at Octopus Energy
  • Dave Omagba - Project Specialist - Octopus Energy Generation will talk about the proposed Rolliers wind turbine in Bigbury, the Octopus Energy Fanclub and Plots for Kilowatts project
  • Kate Royston - CEO Tamar Energy Community & Devon Community Energy Network 
  • Bloom Energy - Bloom Rural Energy Network (BREN), connecting farms and rural businesses in Devon through a peer-to-peer Virtual Power Plant
  • Yealm Community Energy - Community Benefit Society generating enough power for 4,500 homes, serving the 5 parishes of the Yealm.
  • National Grid - Local Planner (name TBC) to advise on local grid capacity issues
Retrofit - Opportunities & challenges

A large proportion of our housing stock, commercial and public buildings in the South Hams are drafty, thermally inefficient and expensive to run.

In this workshop will be joined by independent, impartial advice agency South Dartmoor Community Energy, together with Dartmoor Energy and The Retrofit Company.

They will explain the key issues to consider when retrofitting buildings and outline the advice and support available.

Short talks will be followed by a Q&A and discussion.

Practical Community Projects

If your community would like to develop a smaller-scale project there are a wide range of options to inspire you and support available.

  • Upgrading your community building - hear from Sustainable South Hams and South Dartmoor Community Energy about options for retrofitting your village hall or other community building - advice, funding and examples from other community buildings in the district
  • Open Eco-Homes - hear about Transition Town Totnes’s popular weekend event and their support pack to help you replicate the project in your community
  • Energy Local - hear how this Totnes club are buying and selling locally generated renewable electricity at a fair price as part of a UK network of Energy Local clubs
2:45 - 3.30pm  

Plenary

Bringing it all together - we will discuss the outcomes of the workshops and explore how we can collaborate to take forward effective action.

Contact

For more information contact:

Ruth Leonard-Williams
ruthlw@sussh.org

With thanks to…

Our sponsors: South Hams District Council and Octopus Energy

And to...

All speakers, exhibitors and the extended Sustainable South Hams team,  SHDC councillors and Climate Officer Adam Williams, Popo Yung and Rob Nichols for design and graphics, Feast Kitchen Deli